Chapter 2

Gone.

Sasuke was…

He had left them.

Standing in the cover of the trees, Sakura's nails dug into the bark of the one she leaned against, eyes glued to the ferocious training of her final teammate. He was going all out despite only just being out of the hospital and while part of her wanted to yell at him to take it easy, she knew to stay out of his way. He needed to vent.

It'd been raining for at least an hour, but it didn't seem to register with the blond, his shouts of frustration and pain lost to the downpour. She herself was bordering on becoming soaked, however she couldn't find it in herself to care.

She'd vowed to become stronger, to actually be capable of helping out the next time they found a lead on their friend's whereabouts – had taken that first step by approaching not just anyone, but their Godaime Hokage and demanded that she make her, her student – but part of her felt as though it was a lost cause because what did she really have to offer?

She shuddered following a strong gust of wind, only to glance up with a startled gasp when she found herself shielded from the rain, blinking in surprise at the sight of the proud enigma of a man standing by her side suddenly. Up until that moment, she'd been alone in her watching. Had he been watching her? Or had he merely happened upon her?

"Itachi-san," she greeted politely, offering a faint twitch of her lips.

"You will get sick," he chastised. He didn't look at her, however somehow, he still noticed her absentminded nod, because her blatant dismissal of the conversation prompted him to say, "I heard you are studying under Hokage-sama now."

Everyone had. The majority of them congratulated her on the apprenticeship and wished her luck, whereas others doubted her ability to study under such a fierce woman. And it rubbed off on her because now, she doubted herself too.

She was studying under Senju Tsunade – Senju. She was from the founding clan of Konoha and was the freaking Shodai's granddaughter. Her medical ninjutsu alone made her one of the greatest kunoichi in the world. How was she supposed to keep up with that? Would she even be able to learn anything?

"Yeah," she mumbled.

The distant response finally had Itachi looking her way and she noticed his raising of an eyebrow. "You seem displeased."

Sakura sighed at that and turned to face him fully, leaning back against the tree. It took her out of the umbrella's cover and Itachi fixed the issue instantly by holding it out a little further.

He'd always been kind to her. When Kakashi was needed on a string of missions not long before the chūnin exams, Sasuke had been undeniably furious and demanded they be given another sensei and when that demand was ignored, he finally approached his brother, asking that he took over in Kakashi's absence.

Was training under Uchiha Itachi intimidating? Hell yeah. And part of her felt guilty too, like they were going behind the back of the man who'd repeatedly put his life on the line saving their reckless asses. However, it'd worked out somehow. Sasuke flourished under his brother's teachings for a while, his sharingan improving impressively.

Naruto had already been drifting at that time, so they hadn't taken much offence when he disappeared with his current shishou, Jiraiya.

She had… struggled. Like always. But the man beside her had the patience of a saint and had even reprimanded Sasuke when he muttered to leave her, for she was useless at picking up jutsu. His words had seemed to make Itachi more determined in his teachings and rather than set her random tasks to complete alone, he'd asked her what she was best at.

Genjutsu, they'd soon found she had a knack for.

He'd smiled at that, saying it must have been fate he was covering for the absent Kakashi, for he was friends with the greatest genjutsu users since Uchiha Madara's time.

Sasuke's reaction to Uchiha Shisui's attendance during their training sessions (and his dedication to her alone) from that day forward would've been comical if it wasn't accompanied by her feeling massively disheartened. It was like Sasuke believed she wasn't worth Shisui's time of day.

Luckily for her, he was a man with equal amounts of patience, though she was scared as hell practising her genjutsu on him.

"I'm not," she assured him with a heavy sigh. Glancing back to Naruto's training from the corner of her eye, she gestured to him, saying unevenly, "I just can't…"

"Compete?"

Sakura nodded.

"You are being too hard on yourself," Itachi told her, following her line of sight. "Uzumaki Naruto is abnormal and has certain factors working in his favour, at times."

What did that even mean? People were always so vague about Naruto, including their sensei. He never delved into why Naruto healed faster than the rest of them, not even when he made the comment himself and left their curious minds to come up with ridiculous theories. He remarked on the blond's stamina and how it tired him out, saying it was only to be expected, but never explained further. It was infuriating.

"Give it time and give it your all," continued the Uchiha with a ghost of a smile. He hadn't truly smiled in a while now, she realised.

Gods, she was a horrible person. She hadn't even asked how he or his parents were doing with Sasuke's desertion. Then again, he was private as hell and asking seemed so impolite – when she knew how private he was, she meant. Did she ask for the sake of formality?

"What if I can't do it?" she questioned instead with a grimace. Rubbing restlessly at her arm as the chill finally began to set in, Sakura looked up to Itachi. "Hokage-sama is… She's Senju Tsunade and I'm just…" Her lips twitched in a pitiful attempt to hide the dimpling of her chin as the weight of her inadequacy kicked in at full force. "I'm from a civilian family."

"You also believed you couldn't impress Shisui with your genjutsu," he retorted simply. "He tells me you are much faster at detecting them now."

Well, she kind of had to be. The guy was ruthless and attacked her when she was least expecting it.

Not long before the chūnin exams, she'd been helping her mother out with grocery shopping when she'd walked straight into a powerful genjutsu that had her believing the village was under attack. Everything was so incredibly detailed, to the extent where she'd almost punched a random guy before she finally realised it was genjutsu. Her mother had been horrified by the apparently random burst of psychotic behaviour, but fortunately for Sakura's sake, Shisui had explained it was just training and she had nothing to worry about.

"You are capable, Sakura-san," he reassured her. "Please, believe in yourself."

"Do you think it'd be enough? Studying under Hokage-sama and Shisui-sensei?"

He knew what she was speaking in reference to. She knew just by the minute tensing of his jaw.

"You will never know unless you try."

Slamming the door shut with a loud yell of anger, Sakura turned and prided herself on the fact she got the last word.

She and her father had a tumultuous relationship, but it was safe to say that it grew progressively worse throughout the years.

He didn't understand many aspects of her life – or her in general.

When she fell into the dreaded pit of depression following Sasuke's desertion, her father failed to understand why it hit her so hard and why it was seemingly impossible for her to shake the betrayal. He continuously made wise cracks regarding her wayward teammate, to the point where she would storm off on the verge of tears and leave him at the mercy of her fuming mother.

Then, he didn't understand why she became the Godaime Hokage's apprentice or Uchiha Shisui's student (when he had the time), or why her mother was elated with the tutelage. The first goddamn question he asked was: why bother? Again, she left him at her mother's mercy, for she knew the alternative was dangerously thin ice that she couldn't risk breaking again.

There were so many things that he apparently couldn't comprehend and no matter how much she explained to him why it mattered, he still didn't understand, much to her frustration.

Or perhaps it was because he didn't want to understand? Was that why they constantly butt heads?

Sighing, Sakura entered the Hokage Tower, prepared for a gruelling day of training.

As much as she complained about the harshness of her training, she knew she wouldn't have it any other way. She respected her former sensei, truly she did, but she was stagnant under his tutelage and she knew Kakashi knew that too (his main focus had always been Sasuke and at the time she hadn't understood why he centred on him rather than the team as a whole), especially given how busy he now was with higher ranked missions.

To better herself, to keep up with her teammates and be strong enough to bring Sasuke home, she knew studying under Senju Tsunade and Uchiha Shisui was her best bet. For starters, she was one of the most talented kunoichi in the world, was the only medic who could fight on the front line. Better yet, she'd read that the blonde's presence alone made a huge difference out on the battlefield. Then, there was Shisui. Gods, where to even begin? He was impossibly fast and was the best genjutsu user throughout the nations.

If she was capable of even half her shishou's strength or Shisui's abilities, then Sakura would be ecstatic.

Greeting those working in the tower that day, she made her way straight to the Hokage's office despite being early. Hopefully, her shishou wasn't hungover as it always put her in the worst mood. Some even speculated and said it turned her into a sadist, while others said that was just Tsunade's personality in general. She'd yet to make a decision, for it was much too soon.

Shizune – her sibling disciple – was just leaving and paused in the doorway to greet her with a warm smile.

That reminded her, actually. At some point in the future, she had to ask for a few lessons in poisons since it was the woman's speciality and Tsunade's proud mentioning of Shizune's aptitude for poisons had left Sakura yearning to be on that level.

If she was serious about helping in going after Sasuke, then she had to better herself. She had to improve on all levels. As much as she didn't want to harm her friend, she knew she had to make a statement somehow. Just as Naruto was threatening to break every bone in Sasuke's body to drag him back with little resistance, she would learn a nonlethal but (temporarily) paralysing poison to subdue him. It would most likely be her only way of going up against someone of the Uchiha Clan – not just any Uchiha, but an Uchiha studying under the grotesque Orochimaru.

…Unless she mastered her shishou's monstrous strength, then she would join Naruto in breaking those bones, knowing she was fully capable of healing him afterwards (hopefully). Sasuke certainly wouldn't expect that of her.

"Tsunade-sama is due to attend a last-minute meeting with the elders," Shizune informed her apologetically. "However, she asked that you stick around for a few hours until she is ready to begin your training."

Stick around the Hokage Tower for a few hours? But… What would she do in that time? Those old cranks were able to drone on for hours over the smallest of things and Sakura worried that a whole day would be wasted.

"There are a few scrolls worth reading in the archive room," insisted Shizune. No doubt she sensed Sakura's disliking of wasting a few hours doing nothing – she was the same, she believed, for Shizune was always busy with one task or another. "Tsunade-sama has given you permission to research her jutsu and history further, to give you a sample of what is to come of your apprenticeship."

That captured her attention, effectively beating the bad mood out of her.

Smiling – nearly grinning – with excitement, she all but demanded, "You mean it?"

Shizune's responding smile was warm. "Of course. All that she asks is that you do not enter the restricted area without asking for permission beforehand. There are many dangerous seals in place that will be activated if you do so."

Well, at least they warned her. Sakura envisioned the countless horrors that could be bestowed upon her, shuddering delicately.

"Tsunade-sama or I will find you once the meeting is over."

"Thank you!"

There were so many scrolls that were open to the public to read, Sakura marvelled. She'd assumed it would all be under lock and key, for surely some of it held highly classified information?

Don't be stupid, she thought to herself with a snort. They obviously would have separated highly classified information. They weren't idiots!

Still…

Breathing out a weighted breath of anticipation, Sakura perused the contents of Tsunade's history, soaking in the information greedily. Just the section about mission success rates was astonishing and left Sakura with a burst of pride in her chest, because damn, the woman was intense and got shit done! And that woman was her shishou.

Curling up against the bookshelf with her knees close to her chest, Sakura rested the scroll on them, skimming the pages and admiring the artistic handwriting of her shishou. Usually, doctors had the worst handwriting that appeared more like a child's scribbles, but not her. She took time and effort to ensure every word was legible.

The contents skimmed briefly over jutsu used during missions, but for the most part, it seemed Tsunade had stuck to being the medic of the squads she was part of – at least, Sakura read later on, until she activated her seal.

Would she ever be able to activate such a powerful seal? She didn't immediately shut down the idea like she usually did, instead allowing her mind to wander as Sakura leaned back against the bookcase, eyes growing distant as she imagined what that would be like.

People would have to acknowledge her then, including her father and Sasuke. They had to admire her growth and worth.

But…

What did that seal even do? Sakura had heard stories, but Tsunade had yet to discuss it in their training. Granted, it'd only been a few months since she became her apprentice, but still. All Sakura really knew was that it was a highly classified jutsu that had something to do with storing away chakra which, granted, she had started to do at the blonde's insistence.

From what Naruto told her following the battle with Orochimaru and Kabuto, she'd used it to heal herself, however information from the blond was vague at best so Sakura knew already she was missing parts of the puzzle. Did it increase her power, at all? Was it the reasoning behind her monstrous strength? Was it true that it was the seal that kept her young?

Picturing herself with the very same purple diamond on her forehead had Sakura growing giddy like a child, excitement blooming in her chest.

Was it a bloodline limit, though? The pessimistic part of herself questioned sourly. Was there a reason why Shizune didn't have it? Would she even be able to use it even with her storing away chakra?

She returned her gaze to the section of the archives she'd been reading through: the Senju Clan. Not wanting to upset her shishou or push her luck, she'd stuck to reading only about the woman and her past. But… Gods, it was so tempting to read more. Would Tsunade be mad at her if she did, Sakura wondered?

Better yet: would it be worth potentially angering her?

Then again, why would her shishou be angry with her?

Deciding to hell with it, Sakura carefully rolled the old scroll shut and placed it back into its rightful place, gaze lingering on the others while doing so. Dust had collected in front of them and she swiped her finger across the shelf, surveying the thickness of it that told her it'd been a while since anybody had read the histories of the Senju Clan.

It appeared to be like that for countless other clans, Sakura noticed when she glanced to the other end of the aisle, taking note of the Uchiha's archives. Theirs were significantly larger and she knew that was solely due to how many remained in the village (and added to it daily), whereas she'd only met or heard of a handful of Senju clansmen. Had they left the village? Were they wanderers like her shishou? Had they simply died out?

She wondered if her own family had a collection of scrolls before dismissing the thought with a sigh of dejection. It was stupid even wondering about it, wasn't it? Who would want to document the history of a civilian family?

Unless…

From what Sakura knew of her family history, they'd always been in Konoha – ever since it was founded, if she wasn't mistaken. So… So, surely that meant the Haruno family would have been documented somewhere down the line? At the very least as an acknowledgement if nothing else?

Was there even a civilian section?

Releasing the scroll at the very beginning of the Senju Clan's archives, she perused the multitude of aisles, peering around corners with a thoughtful frown for what felt like forever, her fragile hope diminishing the longer it took.

And then, she caught sight of the civilian founding families – the only section involving civilians, though she couldn't really blame whoever created the archives for that. Civilians were boring as hell. What exactly would be written there? That they opened their store or lounged around on the sofa all day?

Rolling her eyes as she imagined her father's life story listed there and the embarrassment she would feel in response, Sakura approached the section, eyeing the surrounding area to ensure she wasn't entering a restricted section. Fortunately for her curiosity, she wasn't.

The dust that had collected in front of the Senju archives had nothing on this, Sakura thought with a grimace. Part of her didn't even want to touch it, but she knew she would have no choice but to, especially when she spotted the emblem of her family.

Despite her previous thoughts on how boring her family was, excitement got the best of her and she was quick to swipe the first scroll in the entire shelf belonging to her family, opening it without a second thought.

It was written beautifully – more beautiful than Tsunade's handwriting, Sakura noted instantly, although already, she'd spotted a few ancient symbols she couldn't understand.

How insane was it that her family obtained a section in the archive's room? It wasn't as extensive as some of the others, but it certainly appeared to be greater than the other civilians. Why had her father never mentioned their family's past?

"What?" she wondered aloud, frowning as Sakura double-checked the date before carrying said scroll back to the Senju section.

Grabbing the first scroll belonging to their portion of the archive's room, her frown only deepened when she found it belonged to (what she presumed to be) the Shodai Hokage's great-grandfather. Not only that, but it was impossible for her to decipher any of it. It was written in ancient symbols that she couldn't fully comprehend, although it appeared the numbers remained relatively the same.

Perhaps it was due to how fiercely the clans fought back then? Perhaps each clan had their own codes to keep the risk of their messages or scrolls being interpreted to a minimum?

Now beyond curious, Sakura moved over to the Uchiha section and grabbed their first scroll, too.

And she was right!

Each clan had their own language, in a sense, Sakura discovered with a burst of glee.

"Sakura? Are you in here?"

"Shit," she cursed under her breath, but even that slight utterance gave her position away and before she had the chance to put away the three scrolls, her shishou was appearing at the top of aisle, hands on hips. Much to her gratefulness, there was no annoyance in her features – if anything, she seemed somewhat relieved to find her.

Tsunade was an imposing figure to say the least and even several months down the line, Sakura had yet to grow used to her intimidating presence. The woman had a heart of gold deep down though. She knew that for a fact from simply watching her as she'd agonised over Sasuke's desertion (and choice to study with her monstrous former teammate) and on a particularly down day for Sakura, had treated her to lunch. That afternoon, they'd forgone training under the guise that Tsunade believed it best to get to know one another on a more personal level. So, instead of training, they shared their pasts and heartbreaks.

That day would never be forgotten by her, Sakura knew that for a fact. It'd felt like she'd gotten to see a side of the Hokage that only her precious people saw.

"What are you doing?" she asked, tone vaguely curious.

Smiling sheepishly and knowing there was no sweet talking her way out of being so nosy, Sakura raised the three scrolls. "I, um… I found that I couldn't fully understand the writing in a scroll I picked up-"

"You went that far back? Why?"

Her shishou seemed impressed, though she knew not to get her hopes up. The chances of being admonished for reading more than she was supposed to was still pretty high.

"W-Well…" Hesitantly, she juggled the scrolls around and held out her family's one, to which even Tsunade seemed surprised as she caught sight of the emblem. "I know it's strictly civilians, but I was curious about my family's history and when I spotted a language I couldn't understand, I compared it to one of your clansmen's scrolls and found it was different there, too."

"So, you decided to delve deeper," she surmised, gaze drifting to the Uchiha scroll. "Each clan possessed their own codes, but I'm sure you deduced that already."

She nodded with another sheepish smile.

Was she in trouble?

"Although, it's curious as to why your ancestor is using a different language," Tsunade continued while returning to skimming through the scroll. "From my understanding, civilians didn't need to do that."

Wait, did that mean…?

"How peculiar," she murmured.

"What is it?" Sakura had to fight back the urge to demand answers from her shishou.

Was she really from a shinobi clan? Had her father lied to her? Was there some kind of exciting history? Any bloodline limits she'd never known about?

At the beckoning of her shishou, Sakura stepped closer and looked at the scroll from over the woman's shoulder, eyes widening a fraction at the tapping of a red painted nail on a name burned into the history of their village.

"If I'm deciphering this correctly, then this particular woman you were reading about," she said with surprise, "was tied to Uchiha Madara."

What…?

"As in…?"

She hummed affirmatively. "As in lovers."

Lovers.

Holy shit.